Wrench



Jul 21,1931.

McKlNLEY ARMSTRONG WRENCH Filed Dec. 29, 1926 a'lorn 9 G W W y m/WW Z M 5 f Wm 5 4 y: A

i HM uni-mm Patented July 211, 1931 i ears WRENCH Application filed December 28, 1926. Serial No. 157,847.

' This invention relates to improvements in wrenches, and hasparticular reference to a wrench for use with merco 1 valves, which valves are customarilyplaced aconsiderable V dlstance under the ground. 2

The principal object of this i vention is to provide simple means forinserting theilubricant in the valve stem and to afterwards return the parts to their normal position.

Another object of this invention is to produce a tool of this character which is simple in construction and thereforeeconomical to manufacture. A a

A further object is to produce atool which 5 may be used by an unskilled workman.

Other objectsand advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description. j a. I

I In the accompanying drawings forming a '20 part of this specification, and in which like" numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, a 1

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of a casing, the upper extremity of which corre sponds to the ground level, within which myv wrenchis shown, 1 Flgure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1 show- 1ng the wrench upon the valve,

' Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section ofmy wrench,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail View showing the lower extremity of my wrench,

Figure 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4, a

Figure 6 is a cross-section taken on the line 6 of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a modified form of the valve engaging portion of my wrench, and

Figure 8 is a side elevation-ota grease slug. Many large valves which are located in pipe lines requirelubrication in order to facil itate their easy operation. 'It oftenoccurs that it is impractical to install a manhole 1n order to permit easy access to these valves.

7 It therefore happens that a six inch casing is placed over. the valve, the upper end of the casing being even with the surface of the 1 ground, and after installation it is generally a diflicult matter to reach down in this casing to remove the screw in thetop of the valve to shown in the accompanying drawings whererier 21 having alug 22 formed integral theie- Wlth. This slug carrier 1s hollow and adaptthen insert the grease slug, and to thereafter return the screw to the topof the valve.

In order to overcome these difficulties' I have provided a special type of wrench as in it willbe noted that the numeral 5 designates the top of a pipe line having a valve 6 positioned therein, which valve has a stem 7 and a screw plug 8. The numeral 9 designates the customary casing above referred to.

My wrench consists of a T-sl1aped head 11 threaded upon a pipe 12 and held in engagement therewith, by a contractable collar 13 having a tightening screw 14;. To the lowerv extremity of the pipe 12 I secure a foot piece 16 having a contractable collar 17 which is contracted through the medium of a bolt 18. This foot piece 16 is provided with a bore 19 Within which is slidably mounted a slug cared to receive the lower extremity of a pusher rod 23,"whichrod extends upwardly through the pipe 12 and through the head 11, and has formed upon its upper extremity a button 24:;

A. collar 26 is carried upon the rod 23 and contacts a spring 27, the lower end of which 'carrier'as illustrated in Figure 3. a

It will be noted thatthe lower end of the spring rests upon the upper end of the slug 7 a slug carrier is tapered as shown at 28 so that the same will make better register with the opening out of which the screw 3 is taken.

At 29, in Figure 8, Ihave shown a grease slug thQ use of which will be later seen.

The foot piece16 has formed in its lower extremity two substantiallyrectangular re cesses as shown at 31 and 32 (see Figure 5). The recess 32 is substantially the same size as thehead of the screw Sand has a pin 33 extending into, the recess. Thesize of the recess 31 is substantially the same as that of the valve stem 7.

In Figure 7, I have shown a modified form of the invention wherein the recess 34 corre- I sponds to the recess 32 and is in communicaworking withlarge valves positioned within 1" a six inch casin forms is ldentical. 1

The manner of using my wrench is as fol- I The operation of both lows Assuming that it isdesired to lubricate a valve, the wrench is placed within the casing so that the loot plece overlies the stem 7 in such a manner that the recess 31 engages the stem. By now rotating the wrench through 10 he medium of the T-shaped head 11, the stem 7 may be rotated and thevalve shut off. By now slightly lifting the wrench and re-engaging the same so that the head of the screw 8 lies within the recess 32, the p.111 33YQXtQ11ding through a hole provided in the top of the screw the same maybe new rotated unt l it is freed from the'stem 7, after which the wrench as a whole may he lifted from the casing and the screw will be then supported in the wrench and han in n 3011 the in 33.

A 1 b 1 J a saw of rease is now inserted in the slu 0 b a u I a a carrier and the entire Wrench again inserted through the Valve as indicated in Figure 3.

By now pressing upon the button 24 motion may be transmitted through the rod 23 againstthe tension of the spring 2'? with the result that the slug of grease will be ejected from the slug carrier into the passage out of which the screw-8 was taken.

As soon asthis has been accomplished the wrench is again Withdrawn from the casing, the screw 8 placed upon the pin 33 and replaced in the valve in the same manner in which it was removed.

It will thus be seen that with this wrench, it is possibleto efiectively grease valves of this type with a minimum amount of effort and with the assurance that the screw will not be dropped in the process of removing the same and replacing, which is quite a-factor v to consider.

' It is to be understood that the forms of my inventionherewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same,

I and that various changes relative to the shape,

size, material, and arrangement of parts may 7 be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

yHaving thus claim In a wrenchof the character described having a foot piece, said foot piece having a recess formed therein, said recess being in axial described my invention, I

. alignment with the vertical axis of said tool,

means for rotating said tool about the vertical axis,.a second recess formed in said foot piece, said second mentioned recess being ofiset with respect to the vertical-axis of said tool, and a pin positioned in said second mentioned recess, saidpin being horizontally disposed with relation to thevertical axis of said tool.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

1 MCKINLEY ARMSTRONG. 

